ZACHARY ARON

BA '94 Political Science

Mr. Aron has over 23 years of consulting experience, specializing in providing business strategy, operations and technology solutions in the financial services industry. His industry focus areas include banking, lending and payments with expertise in the development and rollout of new business lines, products, services and associated operating models and technologies both in the U.S. and Internationally. Mr. Aron has partnered with financial institutions to develop product and service strategies using emerging technologies or new acquisitions. Mr. Aron has been a guest speaker at numerous industry conferences and client board and advisory meetings in subjects ranging from procure-to-pay trends, the impact of social media on financial services and the impact of digital/virtual currencies on payments as well as impacts of the Single Euro-Payments Area (SEPA) initiative. Mr. Aron also leads Deloitte’s Business Technology Analyst program for the West region.

Bernardine Brandis

BA '75 Political Science

JD '78 UCLA School of Law

Bernardine Brandis is Executive Vice President of Business Affairs for Walt Disney Studios. She is responsible for overseeing all aspects of talent deal making for live action and animated feature films, live stage, and recorded music. During her 25 year association with Disney, she has played an integral part in shaping the financial production guidelines with third parties for the film division. Prior to joining Disney, Brandis worked for Universal Studios as Director of Business Affairs, 20th Century Fox as Production Counsel, and was in private practice. Bernardine lives in Pacific Palisades with her husband Jeff Alperin. She has two teenagers at home and an older son who recently graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and is now working in New York.

JAMES L. HSU

BA '91 Political ScienceJD ‘94 UCLA School of Law

James Hsu is a partner at Squire Patton Boggs and leads the corporate practice group in Los Angeles. James represents clients in a broad range of corporate and securities matters including mergers and acquisitions, debt and equity offerings, public finance transactions, tax exempt financing, fund formation, private equity and venture capital transactions, joint ventures and partnerships, technology licensing and general corporate counseling. James was selected by the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) as one of the Best Lawyers under 40 in 2005. In 2007, James received the California Lawyer’s Angel Award for outstanding pro bono service. James is a member of the board of directors for the Asian Business League of Southern California (ABL), the Center for Asian Americans United for Self-Empowerment (CAUSE) and the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation. James lives with his wife, Shelley Wang, who is also a UCLA alumnus, in Rancho Palos Verdes.

William J. Peters

BA '90 Political Science

JD '90 Loyola Law School

Bill Peters is a partner in Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher's Los Angeles office and a member of the firm's Corporate Department and its Transactional Intellectual Property Practice. He has spent his entire legal career in the information technology and business process outsourcing industries, including serving as Corporate Counsel to a major ITO service provider and General Counsel to a leading HR BPO services provider. Peters is ranked by Chambers & Partners as one of the leading outsourcing lawyers in the world. Peters lives in Rancho Palos Verdes with his wife and two young sons.

Michael L. Preston

BA '87 Political Science

JD ’90 Loyola Law School

Anderson Executive Program Certificate '00

Mike Preston is Vice President and General Counsel of the oil and gas division of Occidental Petroleum Corporation, leading a group of approximately thirty lawyers located in various offices in the United States, the Middles East and South America. Preston joined Occidental in 1997. From 1990 to 1997 he practiced law in the Los Angeles, Melbourne and London offices of Sullivan & Cromwell, focusing on mergers and acquisitions and securities law. Preston lives in San Marino with his wife, Karen, who also graduated from UCLA.

JIM SCHEINBERG

BA '74 Political Science

Jim Scheinberg is Managing Partner, Founder & Chief Investment Officer of North Pier Fiduciary ManagementHe began his career in venture capital in 1990 moving to general securities with Smith Barney Harris Upham in 1992. He joined Oppenheimer & Co., Inc. in 1994 as an Associate in the Oppenheimer Consulting Group, the firm’s institutional investment Services Group of Oppenheimer Co., Inc. (CSG), where he eventually held the position of Director and Senior Vice President. CSG was an industry pioneer in providing conflict free, fee-only investment consulting and fiduciary advocacy for institutional, participant-directed plan sponsors. In 2008, Jim and CSG Partner Brant Griffin founded North Pier Fiduciary Management LLC.

Howard S. Welinsky

BA '72 Political Science

Howard Welinsky is Senior Vice President of Administration of Warner Brothers Distributing. Since 1976 he has held several positions at Warner Brothers, including Vice President of Administration, Director of Branch Operations, and Sales Analyst. Welinsky is very active in Democratic Party politics, serving on the California Democratic State Central Committee since 1991 and as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1980, 1988 and 1996. Welinsky lives in Toluca Lake with his wife, Karren Gantswig, who is also a graduate from UCLA.

Steve Zipperstein

BA '79 Political Science

JD UC Davis School of Law

Steven Zipperstein retired as Vice President of legal and external affairs, General Counsel and Secretary for Verizon Wireless, responsible for the company's legal, regulatory, compliance and federal and state public policy matters. He has served as Vice President and General Counsel of Verizon Wireless since January 2004. Prior to that he was deputy general counsel for Verizon Communications from June 2000 through December 2003, and previously served as Deputy General Counsel for GTE Corporation. Before joining GTE in 1997, Zipperstein served as Chief Assistant United States Attorney in Los Angeles and held a variety of positions at the Justice Department in Washington D.C. in both the first Bush and Clinton Administrations. Zipperstein also taught for several years as an Adjunct Professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. He began his legal career with Hufstedler, Miller, Carlson & Beardsley in downtown Los Angeles in 1983. Zipperstein earned his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of California, Davis, and a bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of California, Los Angeles.